BEIJING: China said on Wednesday that the United States had abruptly told it to close its consulate in the city of Houston, a move that Beijing said it strongly condemns, threatening retaliation.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular daily news briefing that China had been notified on Tuesday that it must close the consulate.

He said the consulate was operating normally, following local media reports in Houston on Tuesday night that documents were being burned in a courtyard at the consulate.